Peroxygen bleach-containing compositions have been described in laundry applications as laundry detergents, laundry additives or even laundry pretreaters.
Indeed, it is known to use peroxygen bleach-containing compositions comprising surfactants like zwitterionic betaine surfactants in laundry applications to boost the removal of encrustated stains/soils which are otherwise particularly difficult to remove, such as grease, coffee, tea, grass, mud/clay-containing soils and the like. However, we have found that a drawback associated with such peroxygen bleach-containing compositions comprising such surfactants is that said compositions may damage fabrics and/or colors, resulting in loss of tensile strength and/or color change/decoloration, especially when used in laundry pretreatment application, e.g., when applied directly (neat) onto the fabrics, and left to act onto said fabrics for prolonged periods of time before rinsing the fabrics, or washing and then rinsing the fabrics.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide improved fabric safety and color safety upon bleaching, especially in pretreatment applications where the compositions are left neat into contact with the fabrics for prolonged periods of time before rinsing the fabrics, or washing and then rinsing the fabrics.
It has now been found that improved fabric safety and color safety can be achieved by formulating a liquid bleaching composition comprising a peroxygen bleach and a salt free zwitterionic betaine surfactant. Indeed, it is by combining these ingredients that a liquid bleaching composition is provided which exhibits a great flexibility in the soils it may clean while being safe to the fabrics bleached therewith as well as to colors. Indeed using such salts free zwitterionic betaine surfactants instead of conventional zwitterionic betaine surfactants provides improved color and fabric safety.
Advantageously, the present compositions also provide effective stain removal performance on various stains including greasy stains and effective bleaching performance.
In a preferred embodiment these salts free zwitterionic betaine surfactants are used in combination with ethoxylated nonionic surfactants. It has been found that the addition of such an ethoxylated nonionic surfactant in the compositions of the present invention further boosts the removal of various types of stains including greasy stains like mayonnaise, vegetal oil, sebum, make-up, and more surprisingly boost the bleaching performance.
Advantageously, the compositions of the present invention provide excellent stain removal performance on a broad range of stains and soils and excellent bleachable performance when used in any laundry application, e.g., as a laundry detergent or a laundry additive, and especially when used as a laundry pretreater, or even in other household applications like in hard surface cleaning applications.
A further advantage is that the compositions herein are physically and chemically stable upon prolonged periods of storage.
Yet another advantage of the compositions according to the present invention is that they are able to perform in a variety of conditions, i.e., in hard and soft water as well as when used neat or diluted.